plland

Actually what I had in mind was using something like a hybrid backpack/chestpack and carrying my gear all day. For an overnighter, I can get the weight fairly low--excluding food and fishing gear, my overnighter camping gear weighs about 7 pounds, including the backpack--but the bulk of having all that on my back would not be ideal in terms of comfort throughout the day. Also, I wouldn't really want to do something like that in any season but summer, when I can definitely get away with barely any extra clothes. I can use a lightweight dry bag to keep my sleeping bag dry, but dry bags are heavy and so is clothing and I think even a 12 pound total backpack (once loaded with food, water, fishing gear), would be pushing it. OTOH, in the off-season, it would be as you say, and setting up camp on a gravel bar, or even in the woods out of sight from passersby, would be less worrisome in regards to people finding my camp--or rather, I could just stash my backpack full of my gear in a certain spot and then unpack it only when I return from fishing that day. I guess the only problem with that would be animals chewing a hole in my backpack to get the food inside.

Thanks for the feedback. I know it's way too far to go out and back in one day, but that's a large section of river that I'd like to fish in smaller chunks. Also, I'm trying to figure out a minimalist overnight backpack to do a 2 day wading trip, spending a night on the river and so I wouldn't bother carrying a backpack and doing something like that if it would make wading very frustrating.

Maybe I'm just inexperienced at wading, but a lot of times I decide to wade, rather than float, on a fishing trip, I end up getting to something like a bend in the river where the deep side switches from left to right... where I either have to get out of the stream and smash my way through tangles of streamside weeds, or swim for it. Some rivers have a trail along one or both sides, making it easier to avoid swimming. I have always floated the upper Current, and haven't been fished it in years. Could someone comment on what I can expect if I fish this area by wading/walking? Particularly the area around Baptist. Is there a trail alongside the stream? Could I conceivably stay "in the water" most of the time and not have to swim very much?

How was the water clarity when you were down there? I was there last week and it was a bit cloudy. I had to use largish, white streamers to get any action. I *almost* caught several small-medium sized rainbows, but never did land anything sizeable.

Thanks for the replies everybody. I'll keep my eyes out for the snakes and try not to hook any accidentally on my backcast...

I'll be driving through Southwest Missouri in mid May on my way home from school and was thinking of getting a half day of trout fishing on Crane Creek. If the weather is nice, and the water is not flooded, what do you think? Does this place get crowded with lots of anglers?